Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Patrick Stewart's toupee faux pas!

Shatner's Toupee fan and regular commenter "RM" (we are delighted that our commenters are starting to sign themselves with user names) recently took it upon himself to use a professional media search tool to dig up some interesting tidbits related to Bill Shatner's toup - the first of which we present to you today. It is a 2004 report from the UK Daily Star, which chronicles Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart's interview with Frank Skinner of The Frank Skinner Showthat same year.

While recalling working with the actor on Star Trek: Generations (1994), Stewart makes the ultimate mistake of mentioning Bill Shatner's toupee - "I guess I am in trouble now" he says. We should add that while Shatner foes like the late James Doohan or George Takei have used the toupee as a blunt instrument to try to hurt or humiliate Shats, here the revelation is entirely innocent - Shatner and Stewart, as far as we understand, got on very well during Star Trek: Generations and have remained friends.

Our thanks to "RM" for this great piece of toupological research. Our honorary degree department is...well, we can't say anymore! Here's the article:

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The Daily Star, December 28, 2004 - page 22.

TO BALDLY GO; STAR TREK KIRK'S WIG SECRET REVEALED

by Peter Dyke

CAPTAIN Kirk really does baldly go where no-one has gone before - because he wears a wig.

Fellow Trekkie Patrick Stewart, who plays Captain Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation, is grilled about 73-year-old Shatner's barnet on The Frank Skinner Show.

Frank Skinner

Skinner quizzes Stewart - himself a domehead - about rumours James T Kirk wears a "rug".

He teases: "You have worked in wigs. And I have heard rumours about Bill Shatner that he's got a bit of help up top."

Stewart, 64, reveals he sussed Shatner wore a "syrup" while working together on the movie Star Trek: Generations.

He tells Skinner, 47: "The poster that advertised the film said: 'Two captains. One mission.' I thought it might be fun to fix that caption and for it to say: 'Two captains. One hairpiece.'" But he admits his revelation may land him in hot water with Shatner.

He adds: "I never discussed this with Bill. I guess I am in trouble now."

Shatner has always brushed aside questions about wigs.He has said: "It's like asking somebody: 'Do you have breast implants?'"

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Naturally, there is a video of this exchange somewhere, which hopefully we will be able to track down eventually.

"And while in my lifetime I've seen science make extraordinary inroads into solving the most complex questions of life, after all this time I admit that I am thrilled that there are some things that forever will remain a mystery. For example, do I wear a toupee?"

"May I say that this is the most delightful blog I have discovered in many a moon. It's informative without being cruel, and there's genuine affection for Mr. Shatner. Well done." - A reader's kind comment.

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